Research

April 18, 2013

Early study reveals ‘nuclear’ strategy for atherosclerosis

Vanderbilt University scientists have discovered a potential new strategy for lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels and stopping atherosclerosis and fatty liver disease.

By Bill Snyder
April 12, 2013

Lung damage protector

Targeting repair pathways in the lung’s air sacs may be a valuable therapeutic direction for pulmonary fibrosis – the scarring of lung tissue.

By Leigh MacMillan
March 28, 2013

Surveillance network tracks shift in cause of childhood diarrhea

A national vaccine surveillance program that Vanderbilt University is a part of has identified a significant shift in the most common cause of childhood diarrhea.

By VUMC News and Communications
March 21, 2013

Nominations sought for Vanderbilt Prize Scholar

Nominations for this year’s Vanderbilt Prize Scholar — a singular honor for female graduate students in the biomedical sciences at Vanderbilt University — are now being accepted. The deadline is April 8.

By Bill Snyder
March 21, 2013

Breast cancer study explores therapy to slow recurrence

Many patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) have recurrence of their disease after an initial response to chemotherapy because the cancer cells have become resistant to treatment. TNBC has a lower survival rate because of this pattern of resistance and there are no targeted agents to treat this form of breast cancer.

By VUMC News and Communications
March 15, 2013

Diagnostic codes identify smoking status

Diagnostic codes used for billing purposes effectively identify smokers in a general clinic population and can be used to adjust smoking status in genetic and epidemiologic studies.

By Leigh MacMillan
February 7, 2013

Study tracks genes involved in heart rhythm disorders

A team led by Vanderbilt University investigators has discovered two new genes — both coding for the signaling protein calmodulin — associated with severe early-onset disorders of heart rhythm.
By Leigh MacMillan
February 6, 2013

Linking oxygen, iron and red blood cells

The HIF oxygen-sensing pathway and its responses to low oxygen may be targeted for treatments of anemia and disorders of iron balance.
By Leigh MacMillan
February 1, 2013

Cell source of heart’s blood vessels

An unexpected group of cells generates the coronary arteries and may be useful for regeneration therapies following injury to the heart.
By Leigh MacMillan
January 31, 2013

Do-it-yourself repair in the kidney

The kidney can mediate its own repair through proliferation of resident immune system cells.
By Leigh MacMillan
January 17, 2013

Zinc: a new antibiotic target?

It may be possible to fight hospital-acquired pathogens like Acinetobacter baumannii by targeting the bacterium’s need for the nutrient metal zinc.
By Leigh MacMillan
December 20, 2012

Cancer markers from archived tissue

Archived tissue samples are yielding new disease biomarkers.
By VUMC News and Communications
December 10, 2012

Genetic clues to lung scarring

A rare genetic syndrome provides new clues to lung scarring (pulmonary fibrosis), a potentially deadly consequence of many lung diseases.
By VUMC News and Communications